What It Mean To Follow Jesus
The Greatest Decision: What It Really Means to Follow Jesus
In a world obsessed with measuring success through bank accounts, social media followers, and career accomplishments, there's a radically different metric that matters far more than any of these temporary markers. It's a question that cuts through all the noise and gets to the heart of what truly matters: Where will you spend eternity?
This isn't meant to sound overly simplistic or like religious fearmongering. Rather, it's the most profound question any human being will ever face. We are, as Scripture reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, made up of three parts: body, soul, and spirit. While our bodies are temporary—and let's be honest, we should probably be grateful for that—our souls are eternal. This reality makes the decision about what to do with Jesus Christ the single most important choice of our lives.
Beyond Belief: The Call to Discipleship
Here's something that might surprise you: believing facts about Jesus and actually following Jesus are two entirely different things. The book of James tells us that even demons believe in God and tremble at the knowledge. They know Jesus is the Son of God. They know He died and rose again. But they certainly aren't His followers.
Similarly, many people today believe the historical facts about Jesus but have never truly surrendered their lives to Him. They've never moved from intellectual agreement to genuine discipleship. And that's where Jesus' words in Luke 9:23-25 become so crucial and challenging.
Three Non-Negotiable Commands
When Jesus spoke to the crowds about following Him, He didn't sugarcoat the requirements. He laid out three clear commands that remain as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago.
1. Deny Yourself
This is where things get uncomfortable. Our flesh wants what it wants when it wants it. We live in a culture that celebrates self-expression, self-care, and self-fulfillment. Yet Jesus begins His invitation to discipleship with a call to self-denial.
But let's be honest with ourselves for a moment. Do we really deny ourselves, or do we simply do what we want and convince ourselves that's what God wanted all along? How often do we rationalize our choices, giving God whatever time we have left over after we've done everything we wanted to do?
Denying yourself doesn't mean hating yourself or neglecting legitimate needs. It means putting Christ ahead of ourselves. For some, this might mean giving up a Saturday morning to serve others. For others, it might mean turning off the television and spending time in prayer. It could mean serving when you'd rather sit, giving when you'd rather keep, or speaking truth when you'd rather stay comfortable.
Following Jesus always costs us something.
2. Take Up Your Cross Daily
When Jesus spoke these words, His audience wasn't thinking of jewelry or religious symbols. They knew exactly what a cross meant: execution, death, complete surrender. The cross beam alone weighed about 100 pounds. The full cross could weigh 300 pounds.
But Jesus isn't asking us to carry His cross—He already carried that one. He's asking us to carry our own cross, which means dying to ourselves, surrendering completely to Him, and faithfully enduring.
Notice the word "daily." This isn't a one-time decision. Every single day we choose whether we will live for ourselves or live for Jesus Christ. Every day presents a new opportunity for surrender or self-preservation.
Many people want a genie god who grants wishes without requiring commitment. But God doesn't operate on quid pro quo. If you want to see God move in your life, you need to show genuine interest in God by doing what He calls you to do. And yes, that will require denying yourself and taking up your cross.
3. Follow Me
This third command completes the picture. What good is carrying a cross if you're walking in the wrong direction? Following Jesus means pursuing His path, His will, His Word. While His road includes suffering, it ends in resurrection and glory—and that promise extends to all who follow Him faithfully.
The Paradox of Life and Loss
Jesus answers the obvious question: Why would anyone choose this path? His answer is found in one of the most profound paradoxes in Scripture: "Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."
In other words, the person who spends their entire life protecting themselves, living only for themselves, and serving only themselves will ultimately lose everything. But the person who willingly gives their life to Christ finds true life—not merely here, but forever.
Peter understood this. After the rich young ruler walked away from Jesus because he couldn't give up his possessions, Peter asked Jesus about the disciples who had left everything to follow Him. Jesus' response was remarkable: everyone who has left houses, family, or lands for His sake will receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life.
It's worth it. Denying yourself, taking up your cross, and following Him—it's worth it.
The Ultimate Question
Then Jesus asks one of the most penetrating questions in all of Scripture: "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?"
This question never becomes outdated. What good is wealth without Jesus Christ? What good is success without salvation? What good is popularity without eternity? Everything in this world eventually passes away, but our souls will live forever.
No Excuses Allowed
Later in Luke 9, we see three different people approach Jesus with varying levels of commitment. One boldly declares he'll follow Jesus anywhere. Jesus responds by pointing out that He doesn't even have a place to lay His head. Another wants to follow but asks to bury his father first. A third wants to say goodbye to his family before following.
Each person had an excuse, and none of them were necessarily bad excuses. But every excuse placed something ahead of Jesus. And that's still the issue today. Following Christ isn't selective obedience. It's complete surrender.
What Are You Holding Back?
Perhaps there's something you're unwilling to surrender this very moment. A habit. A relationship. A dream. A fear. Jesus isn't asking because He wants to take something from you. He's asking because He wants something greater for you.
When He says deny yourself, He offers abundant life. When He says take up your cross, He offers eternal life. When He says follow Me, He leads you straight to the Father.
If the cross seems too heavy, remember that nobody understands carrying a cross better than Jesus Christ. If you're afraid and don't know the way, remember Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." If you're weary, remember His invitation: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
The call of Jesus has never changed. Deny yourself. Take up your cross. Follow Him. And here's the promise you can bank your eternity on: every sacrifice you make for Jesus Christ will be worth it.
In a world obsessed with measuring success through bank accounts, social media followers, and career accomplishments, there's a radically different metric that matters far more than any of these temporary markers. It's a question that cuts through all the noise and gets to the heart of what truly matters: Where will you spend eternity?
This isn't meant to sound overly simplistic or like religious fearmongering. Rather, it's the most profound question any human being will ever face. We are, as Scripture reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, made up of three parts: body, soul, and spirit. While our bodies are temporary—and let's be honest, we should probably be grateful for that—our souls are eternal. This reality makes the decision about what to do with Jesus Christ the single most important choice of our lives.
Beyond Belief: The Call to Discipleship
Here's something that might surprise you: believing facts about Jesus and actually following Jesus are two entirely different things. The book of James tells us that even demons believe in God and tremble at the knowledge. They know Jesus is the Son of God. They know He died and rose again. But they certainly aren't His followers.
Similarly, many people today believe the historical facts about Jesus but have never truly surrendered their lives to Him. They've never moved from intellectual agreement to genuine discipleship. And that's where Jesus' words in Luke 9:23-25 become so crucial and challenging.
Three Non-Negotiable Commands
When Jesus spoke to the crowds about following Him, He didn't sugarcoat the requirements. He laid out three clear commands that remain as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago.
1. Deny Yourself
This is where things get uncomfortable. Our flesh wants what it wants when it wants it. We live in a culture that celebrates self-expression, self-care, and self-fulfillment. Yet Jesus begins His invitation to discipleship with a call to self-denial.
But let's be honest with ourselves for a moment. Do we really deny ourselves, or do we simply do what we want and convince ourselves that's what God wanted all along? How often do we rationalize our choices, giving God whatever time we have left over after we've done everything we wanted to do?
Denying yourself doesn't mean hating yourself or neglecting legitimate needs. It means putting Christ ahead of ourselves. For some, this might mean giving up a Saturday morning to serve others. For others, it might mean turning off the television and spending time in prayer. It could mean serving when you'd rather sit, giving when you'd rather keep, or speaking truth when you'd rather stay comfortable.
Following Jesus always costs us something.
2. Take Up Your Cross Daily
When Jesus spoke these words, His audience wasn't thinking of jewelry or religious symbols. They knew exactly what a cross meant: execution, death, complete surrender. The cross beam alone weighed about 100 pounds. The full cross could weigh 300 pounds.
But Jesus isn't asking us to carry His cross—He already carried that one. He's asking us to carry our own cross, which means dying to ourselves, surrendering completely to Him, and faithfully enduring.
Notice the word "daily." This isn't a one-time decision. Every single day we choose whether we will live for ourselves or live for Jesus Christ. Every day presents a new opportunity for surrender or self-preservation.
Many people want a genie god who grants wishes without requiring commitment. But God doesn't operate on quid pro quo. If you want to see God move in your life, you need to show genuine interest in God by doing what He calls you to do. And yes, that will require denying yourself and taking up your cross.
3. Follow Me
This third command completes the picture. What good is carrying a cross if you're walking in the wrong direction? Following Jesus means pursuing His path, His will, His Word. While His road includes suffering, it ends in resurrection and glory—and that promise extends to all who follow Him faithfully.
The Paradox of Life and Loss
Jesus answers the obvious question: Why would anyone choose this path? His answer is found in one of the most profound paradoxes in Scripture: "Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."
In other words, the person who spends their entire life protecting themselves, living only for themselves, and serving only themselves will ultimately lose everything. But the person who willingly gives their life to Christ finds true life—not merely here, but forever.
Peter understood this. After the rich young ruler walked away from Jesus because he couldn't give up his possessions, Peter asked Jesus about the disciples who had left everything to follow Him. Jesus' response was remarkable: everyone who has left houses, family, or lands for His sake will receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life.
It's worth it. Denying yourself, taking up your cross, and following Him—it's worth it.
The Ultimate Question
Then Jesus asks one of the most penetrating questions in all of Scripture: "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?"
This question never becomes outdated. What good is wealth without Jesus Christ? What good is success without salvation? What good is popularity without eternity? Everything in this world eventually passes away, but our souls will live forever.
No Excuses Allowed
Later in Luke 9, we see three different people approach Jesus with varying levels of commitment. One boldly declares he'll follow Jesus anywhere. Jesus responds by pointing out that He doesn't even have a place to lay His head. Another wants to follow but asks to bury his father first. A third wants to say goodbye to his family before following.
Each person had an excuse, and none of them were necessarily bad excuses. But every excuse placed something ahead of Jesus. And that's still the issue today. Following Christ isn't selective obedience. It's complete surrender.
What Are You Holding Back?
Perhaps there's something you're unwilling to surrender this very moment. A habit. A relationship. A dream. A fear. Jesus isn't asking because He wants to take something from you. He's asking because He wants something greater for you.
When He says deny yourself, He offers abundant life. When He says take up your cross, He offers eternal life. When He says follow Me, He leads you straight to the Father.
If the cross seems too heavy, remember that nobody understands carrying a cross better than Jesus Christ. If you're afraid and don't know the way, remember Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." If you're weary, remember His invitation: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
The call of Jesus has never changed. Deny yourself. Take up your cross. Follow Him. And here's the promise you can bank your eternity on: every sacrifice you make for Jesus Christ will be worth it.
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